Mount Everest

Mount Everest is the highest mountain on Earth. Its peak rises about 8,849 metres above the level of the sea. The mountain stands in the Himalayas, on the border between Nepal and the region of Tibet in China. Local people in Nepal call it Sagarmatha, and Tibetans call it Chomolungma, a name that means 'Mother Goddess of the World'.

The mountain was named after George Everest, a British surveyor who worked in India in the nineteenth century. For a long time, no one knew exactly how tall it was. Then, in 1856, a survey measured the peak and found that it was the highest point on the planet.

Climbing Everest is extremely dangerous. Near the top, the air holds only about a third as much oxygen as the air at sea level, so climbers find it hard to breathe. The temperature can fall far below freezing, and sudden storms can trap people on the slopes. The highest part of the climb is sometimes called the 'death zone', because the human body cannot survive there for long.

In 1953, two climbers, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa from Nepal, became the first people known to reach the summit and return safely. Since then, thousands of people have climbed the mountain, but many have also lost their lives trying.

Today, hundreds of climbers attempt Everest every year. Most of them depend on the skill and strength of the Sherpas, the local people who carry supplies, fix the ropes, and guide visitors up the ice. Without their help, very few people would ever reach the top of the world.

The crowds have brought new problems. On busy days, long lines of climbers wait for hours in the freezing cold just to reach the summit. Years of climbing have also left a great deal of rubbish on the mountain. In recent times, teams have worked to carry the waste back down and to keep this famous mountain clean for the future.